Machine for surfacing metal



Feb. 14, 1939. w. J. F. FORWARD I 2,146,810

' MACHINE FOR SURFACING METAL Filed Aug. '15. 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTbR.

Feb. 14, 1939. w. J. F.- FORWARD 2,146,810

MACHINE FOR SURFACING METAL Filed Aug. 15, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Az'sATTORNEY.

Feb. 14, 1939. w. J. F, FORWARD MACHINE FOR SURFACING METAL Filed Aug.15, 1938' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 5% c). 7. Fa rwnri W 425 ATTORNEY.

MACHINE FOR SURFACING METAL Filed Aug. 15. 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ------1l I I I l l Q 1 l A 1 v I h. g

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INVENTOR.

- 7175772 awr /W67 W M ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNIT ED STATES;

PATEiNZT OFFICE MACHINE FOR. SURFACINQ METAL Application August 15,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and machine for surfacing metal, andhas for its object to afford a method of roughing and finishing a flatmetal surface in such a way as to effect economies in the operation andto produce a surface finished more smoothly than with the conventionalmethods now in use.

In. a more specific aspect, the invention is designed to afford meansfor mounting a work piece on a traveling table or fixture and subjectingit, while so mounted, to successive operations of a roughing cutter,either of the milling or planing type, and thereafter to a finishingoperation by a cutter or cutters of the broaching type, that is, one ormore which extend across and finish the entire surface in one cuttingoperation, the finishing operation referred to taking place eitherduring the return of the work table or during a further advance movementof the same, preferably at a faster speed than it has during therough-cutting operation. 1

For roughing metal surfaces, a milling or planing operation ispreferable becausethis offers less resistance to the travel of the work,is less likely to cause distortion, and requires less horse power than abroaching operation, which is impractical for most metal roughingoperations because so much pressure is required that it is likely todistort or crush the work. On the other hand, a broach gives a finerfinishing cut, and is preferable for finishing operations where only alight out is required, and this invention combines the advantages of amilling or planing tool for roughing and a broaching tool for finishing,while at the same time effecting a substantial saving in the first costof the machine as well as the cost of operation as compared withmachines that employ milling or planing cutters for both roughing andfinishing operations.

A further object of the invention is to, afford a mechanism in whichfinishing cutters of the broaching type can be combined in the samemachine with roughing cutters, and suitably controlled by mechanism thatmove the finishing cutters in and out of operative position sov that thework can be fed in one direction for roughcutting while thefinishing-broaching cutters are withdrawn, and after completion of theroughcutting operation, the work is returned in the opposite directionand the broaching cutters moved into operative relation to impart thenecessary finishing cut.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, thenovel features being-pointed out in the claims following thespecification.

1938, Serial No. 224,918

Inthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in end-elevation of a machine constructed invaccordance with one practical embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partialplanview showing the roughing-milling cutters engagedwith the work and the finishing-broaching cutters withdrawn;

Fig, 3 is a similar view showing the work traveling in the oppositedirection and the finishingbroaching cutters engaged therewith;

' Fig, l is a sectional view on line 4 -4 of Fig, 1 showing one of thebroaching tool assemblies, and with the cutter in operative position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the fluid pressure control cylinder,and. showing the controlling piston in its outermost position;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one of the broaching tool heads;

Fig. 7- is a sectional view on the line 1''! of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of a modified arrangement ofthe machine,

The invention may be carried out in a variety of mechanisms, and in thepresent disclosure there is illustrated onepractical embodiment showingtheapplication of the method for operating on an engine cylinder block.

Referring to Figs. 1- to 3, l designates the bed of the machine, 2 'areadjustable units constituting columns supporting the tool heads 3, while4 designates a crosshead at the top for tying together the verticalcolumns or side units. 5 is a work table movable endwise on the bed I-,as usual in this class of machinery, by mechanism that is deemedunnecessary to show as it forms no part of the present invention otherthan to aiford the necessary fast and slow'movements to the work tablewhich may be imparted by any suitable structure. 6 designates a fixturemounted on the work table 5 and to which is secured the work piece orblank I, the opposite ends of which may be subjected to the requiredcutting operations as the Work table travels back and forth. Accordingto the preferred method of operation, thev cylinder head or blank 1 isfirst roughed by surfacing-milling cutters, during which time thefinishing-broaching tools are withdrawn from operative relation as thework is fedpast them. It will be. understood that the roughing operationmay be performed by planing cutters or in some other manner than thatparticularly referred to herein, the essential characteristic ofthisprocess being that the work is subjected to a finishing cut by abroaching tool while it is mounted on the same fixture and work tablethat moves it past the roughing cutters, and after completion of theroughing operation, the work table is moved at a faster speedpreferably'in the opposite direction, at which time thefinishingbroaching tools effect a single finishing cut entirely acrossthe surface under treatment.

Referring to Figs, 2 and 3, II designates the finishing-broaching toolsor blades which are shown in Fig. 2 as withdrawn from operativeposition, and I2 designates the roughing-milling cutters which may berotatedvby any suitable mechanism such as is well known in the art. Itwill be understood that the finishing-broaching cutters II arestationary as the work is moved past them, and effect preferably ashearing cut across the entire surface of the blank presented, and inorder to mount and control the movements of the broaching blades I I,each one is supported in a tool head such as illustrated in Figs. 4 to7.

The blade II is located in a recess against a shoulder in the block I2,being held therein by a wedge I3 and locking bolt I 4. It may benecessary toadjust the blade I I at different shearing angles withreference to the work, depending upon the particular character of themetal, and to permit this, the block I2 is rotatably mounted in a sleeveI5 that is movable endwise in the stationary housing I6. The block I2 isadjustab-ly connected to a spindle II extending through the sleeve I5and carrying a collar fixed thereon against which the one end of thesleeve I5 abuts tightly while its outer end is engaged by the ,block I2that is threaded on the spindle I1. .With this mechanism, the block I2and blade I I may be adjusted to secure any shearing angle with relationto the work, by first turning spindle I! to loosen the block I2 which isadjusted to the desired angle, and the spindle I! again tightened.

It will be understood that where necessary, more than one blade may beused to extend across the surface of the work.

The spindle II extends into a fluid pressure cylinder I8 and carries apiston I9. The ports to said cylinder leading to opposite sides of thepiston I9 are designated at 2I and 22, see Fig. 5. It will be understoodthat the piston I9 is moved inwardly and outwardly at the properintervals by the operation of suitable pressure control valves that maybe actuated by the work'table at proper points in its travel, thedetails ofsuch mechanism being well'known in the art and requiring nofurther explanation here.

Inward movement of the broaching tool is limited by a stop 24 and a post25 that is adju'stably mounted on an extension 26 of the sleeve I5. Theinner end of the stop 24 engages an opening 21 in the housing I6, andthe stop 24 engaging against the shoulder 28 of the housing I6 maintainsthe sleeve I5 and the cutting tool at the proper position with referenceto the work when in cutting relationship." By loosening the nut 29 onthe adjusting post 25 in the extension 26,- the position of the post 25may be varied and thus the extent of endwise movement of the sleeve I5and cutting position of the blade II may be varied.

Referring to Figs, 2 and 3, it will be understood that when the'work istraveling to the top of Fig. 2, the broaching tools II are in theirretracted position and the milling cutters I2 perform the necessaryroughing operations, taking off a relatively thick portion of thesurface as indicated, until the work has moved past the milling cuttersI2 and reached the position shown in dotted lines. 'I'hereupon thedirection of travel of the work table is reversed and at the same timethe broaching tools are moved into operative relation as shown in Fig. 3so as to finish the previously roughed surfaces during the returnmovement of the work table, which takes place at a faster speed thanduring its forward travel during the roughing operation.

Upon completion of the return travel of the table, thefinishing-broaching tools II are again retracted and the parts are thenready for a repetition of the operations already described on anotherwork piece after the table has been reloaded. If preferred, thebroaching tools may be arranged as shown in Fig. 8 so that the work willbe fed past the roughing cutters first and thereafter past thefinishing-broaching tools while the work table is traveling in the samedirection, in which case the speed of the work table would be increasedafter the work has'been fed past the roughing tools and the movement ofthe table stopped to unload the work piece after its travel in onedirection has been completed. 7

With this process, a better finished surface on the work is produced dueto the single-cut finishing action of the broaching tool over the entiresurface under treatment, a substantial saving in production is effecteddue to the fact that the finishing operation isperformed on the'samemachine and in the same cycle of operations at a faster speed than theroughing operation, and the initial cost of such a machine isconsiderably less because of the saving in a broaching tool head ascompared with a milling cutter.

The invention has been disclosed herein as applied to a machineemploying a reciprocating work table, but may be used as well inconjunction with any traveling work table whether it be of thereciprocating, rotating, or oscillating type.

While the invention has been described with reference to thearrangements shown herein, it is not confined to these particularadaptations, and this application is intended to cover any other uses ofthe method of machines coming within the purposes of the invention orthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine tool comprising a traveling work table, finishing-broachingcutting means, a roughing cutter, and means acting to move the finishingcutting means out of operative relation while the table is traveling inone direction andto return said finishing cutting means to operativerelation upon return of the table in the opposite direction.

2. A machine tool comprising a traveling work table, a roughing cutter,finishing cutting means which extends entirely across and finishes asurface with one cut, and means for moving the table with the work fixedthereon past the roughing .cutter at one speed and past the finishingcutting means at a greater speed.

3. A machine tool comprising a traveling work table, finishing-broachingcutting means, a roughing cutter, means for moving the work table withthe work fixed thereon in one direction past the roughing cutter at onespeed and for returningthe \vork table in the opposite direction pastthe finishing-broaching cutting means at a faster speed, and meansacting to move the finishing cutting means out of operative relationwhile the table is traveling in one direction and to return saidfinishing cutting means to operative relation upon return of the tablein the opposite direction.

WORTHY J. F. FORWARD.

